It Will Always Be There
by goob21
Summary: Moments define all of our lives. For Brooke and Peyton friendship has filled many of those moments. After their second fight, Brooke comes to realize the moment that will now define her life. Brooke and Peyton Friendship piece. I don't own anything


**A/N: This is my first One Tree Hill fanfic. I have always loved OTH and especially the friendship that Brooke and Peyton have. The idea for this fic has been running around for days in my head, but the words never seemed to form until today. I have never written in first person, but I like the form this story took from Brooke's POV. I hope you enjoy and I would love to hear whatever it is you would like to tell me about it.**

**A/N 2: The Italics are the flashback**

**A/N 3: Punctuation and I didn't really get along. The good thing is you don't need it for this type of story, it actually adds to the affect. The end of a line complete a thought, sometimes its the end of a sentence, sometimes not**

It Will Always Be There

Moments define our life

**_Flashback_**

_As I leave the gym, duffle bag and pom poms in hand, I notice I am not the only one still here at such an ungodly hour on a Tuesday night_

_I choose to ignore her, like I have been for the past 10 days, as I make my way towards the parking lot_

_"Brooke are we seriously going to keep doing this?" she calls after my retreating form_

_"Yeah Peyton we are," I shoot back not even turning to look at her as I make my way to my car_

_"So that's it, after everything?" It's a question, one asked with no sense of deflation or defeat_

_"You mean after years of thinking our friendship was something more than it actually was"_

_It doesn't surprise me how fast I feel my anger rise_

_"You know as well as I do, that no matter what it, our friendship, will always be there," she says soft but firmly_

_I look up from where I was searching in my bag for my keys to truly look at my ex-best friend for the first time since I left her standing, clutching her cheek from where my hand left its mark_

_She looks almost hopeful, as though this time will be different than the thousands of other times she has asked my forgiveness_

_A weighted sigh escapes me, as I shake my head_

_"No, Peyton it won't," I breathe out bowing my head in surrender to the idea I could forgive her this time_

_I hear her take in a breath, and look up again_

_The hope that had been there only seconds before is gone, replaced suddenly with harsh realization_

_It surprises me even a little_

_Its not as though we haven't had this conversation several times in the last few days, but for some reason this one is different_

_She realizes it and so do I_

_We stand there awkwardly for a moment, each unable to move from where our feet seem rooted through the pavement_

_The silence unnerves me a little_

_Our friendship was always based on the aspects of sound…_

_The constant music that normally surrounded the blonde in front of me_

_The way we could talk for hours veiled in the darkness of one of our bedrooms_

_Even the venomous words we shot back and forth as of late_

_The silence is oddly appropriate I decide_

_ As if the world around us has taken notice of the end of it all_

_"Goodbye Brooke," her voice breaks through the barrier_

_The anger that had risen so quickly is now gone, as I gaze at the girl I had always considered a sister_

_I nod my head slightly as my hands finally clasp around the keys in the pocket of my bag_

_"Goodbye Peyton"_

_Although she has already turned away, she turns back to nod once_

_Finalizing it all somehow_

_I listen to her footsteps disappearing away_

_As I turn the key in the door, I hear it…_

_The small click in the once again noiseless night_

_My lungs rush to take in air_

_"Drop the bag and the keys on the ground" the voice growls_

_I do as I am told, my brain now registering what the click had been_

_"Turn around" _

_Hesitating for a second, I turn to stare directly down the barrel of the gun I knew would be there_

_The figure is clouded by the shadows, the hood of a dark sweatshirt hiding his face _

_"Please" I whisper unafraid to beg_

_His laughs sends chills down my spine as his other hand reaches to draws a caressing touch down the side of my face_

_His lips stroke against my ear as he whispers, "Begging won't save you"_

_I don't even notice the tears that slip silently down my face_

_He grabs my wrist in an effort to pull me closer to him_

_I fight against it, and before I know it I can feel the cool metal against the skin under my chin_

_"Don't make this harder than it has to be"_

_ His face is close to mine, his features still looming behind the darkness, but his eyes dart out to meet mine_

_Their color reminds me of the sky just before lightning of the thunderstorm streaks across the deep grey clouds_

_My legs are moving before I can realize it_

_His body pulling mine deeper into the darkness of the deserted parking lot_

_"Take me" _

_His body jerks to a stop forcing mine to do this same_

_"Take me" the voice speaks stronger this time_

_I know that voice_

_He whips us both around, growling at the unwelcome intrusion_

_She steps closer, emerging from her own darkness_

_He doesn't move at first, the gun pressed firmly against my ribcage_

_She takes another step towards us_

_"Take me"_

_Although I can't see his face, I can tell he is contemplating her words_

_I take my moment, my eyes rising to meet emerald green_

_Words fly through my head…._

_Cries for help,_

_Angered statements of retribution_

_Pleading murmurs for this all to be a dream_

_But the words cannot seem to find the path to my lips, and I can only stare at the emerald eyes that can penetrate me down to the very depths of my soul_

_And in that moment I realize, she was right…_

_'It will always be there…'_

_She knows me in ways no other person can_

_And I her_

_The moment is broken as I feel his hand release its hold on my arm, and the pavement is rushing to meet me_

_My wrist cracks as I try desperately to keep from crashing into the unforgiving surface face first_

_I don't even have a chance to cry out in pain, before I feel an arm around my waist lifting me from where I am hunched _

_My instincts tell me to fight, fearing it is him_

_but something holds me back_

_The touch is familiar_

_She pulls me up, her body facing mine_

_Our eyes lock once again_

_I am searching for something in them_

_Fear_

_Even the slightest indication she has a plan maybe_

_But instead I find something I thought I had extinguished moments before_

_Hope _

_A small smile plays across her lips_

_The smile I have seen a million times_

_Every single time taking it for granted_

_Before I know what is happening, she has crossed the short distance that separated us from him_

_He begins to pull her into the darkness that was meant for me_

_I can't move_

_Suddenly, her body jerks from his slightly, and she turns back to me_

_"It will always be there Brooke," her voice is calm, and that same small smile reappears for the last time as she disappears completely into the night_

_I am left to the silence _

The days surrounding that night remain a blur in my mind

Hours of questioning

Constant whispers as I pass,

The never ending looks of pity

They do little to phase me

Even the words of those closest to me….

Closest to her

Cannot penetrate the fog that consumes

It is true that the moments in our life define who we are

They have defined mine

There are moments when I see her

Sometimes she is the young surly, blonde I remember from my youth

Others she is the tortured artist lost deep within her drawings

But mostly, she is the beautiful person I once deemed myself worthy enough to call my best friend

No matter how I see her though, I find that small smile once again playing across her lips just before she disappears

At one time or another, they have all said it was time to let her go

To forgive myself

The don't understand

How can they

They know nothing of how it feels for one single moment to define your entire life…

Time seemingly allowed their pain to fade

While only amplifying mine more with each passing day

They gave up long ago

Begging me to join them in their resolve she wasn't coming back

Their weary nods, the only reply when I told them I would never stop searching

Searching for her

For what would always be there

That searching has led me here…

**Knock, knock **

"Hello, can I help you," the women on the old side of the door asks almost happily

Her smiles falters slightly at my appearance

I can't blame her, I am not the Brooke Davis, I once knew

"Excuse me miss, was there something you needed," she asks when the silence becomes too much

My conscious fights the ever raging battle no to shatter into the million pieces it truly is finds itself in

"Yes, I'm looking for my friend," I say softly, having said it many times before

"She's been missing a long time," the women states absentmindedly staring at the flyer I extend to her

7 years

4 months

2 days

12 hours

17 minutes

33 seconds

I want to say, but don't…

_"_Yes, Ma'am, I know_"_

She seems to be taking it all in

_"_Tree Hill's quite a ways from here_," _she says

It's what everyone had said, and it was true, but I had searched every where else

_"_Yes, I know_," _I reply

She gives me that look, the one that says, "You are crazy for believing you will find her"

Everyone had given it to me

"I'm sorry I haven't seen her,_" _she states softly

All I can do is nod my head

It wasn't that I wasn't hoping for a miracle

I had just come not to expect one

Accepting long ago that one day I would be worthy of my miracle

"Thank you," I whisper turning to leave

"Do you really think you will find her?" the women's voice doesn't betray any feelings of disbelief that I am actually still looking

No, it's simply a question of if I believe my friend is really out there somewhere

My head falls to look at the cobblestones of her walkway

When I look up again, the look in her eyes shows her understanding

"I have to," I say

She nods

I turn again to leave, but she calls out once more

"For what it's worth, she is lucky to have a friend like you"

A tear makes its way down my cheek

I don't turn back to face her

"No Ma'am, I am the lucky one"

Walking slowly down the sidewalk, I reach into my bag and pull out another flyer

Emerald eyes once again take hold of mine,

Her ever-present smile eliciting one from my own lips

Taking the stairs that lead to another door, I can hear her voice as clearly as if it was that night again…

"It will always be there"

My smile grows as I run a finger down her picture and whisper

"Always"


End file.
